Pelosi Sets New Date for Target Infrastructure Vote

House speaker Nancy Pelosi created a new Oct. 31 target date to pass the infrastructure bill, because she believed if passed to vote earlier, it would have been defeated. A 30 day funding extension for funding highway programs will expire at the end of October. The framework for the original bill had a 3.5 trillion dollar budget, but that was cut down to 1.2 trillion, for Pelosi feared house lawmakers would likely reject it. 

The house passed a bill last week along party lines to fund the government through December third, while suspending the debt limit into December of next year. However, Republicans have agreed to not help Democrats pass the legislation, in hopes of avoiding a debt default. Despite threats from progressives, Pelosi and her team have continued to signal that the vote could slip through, although there is a high chance it could be blocked. 

Pelosi and her leadership team are still racing to lock down the votes for both bills, according to those who have been involved in and aided with the discussions. With three votes left to spare, Democratic lawmakers have been hoping the White House will take executive action and expand their operation. According to White House officials, the Legislative Affairs Office and White House staff spoke to various lawmakers about the path forward, allowing those involved in the decision making process to gauge the opinions of their peers.